The embroidery stash
Posted by Fiona Nevile in crafts | 15 comments
Photo: Shereen's embroidery stash
Just before Christmas Shereen emailed me and asked if I would be interested in giving a home to her embroidery stash. Of course the answer was Yes Please. There’s nothing like examining someone else’s stash let alone being given one. I was thrilled.
I used to do quite a bit of embroidery as a child. In fact I made this embroidery thread roll at some stage back then for myself (photo below). It even has a little lint book inside to store the needles and a row of soft compartments to store threads. The material is Swiss and from an old dress always known as The Swiss Dress.
When I started to make the lavender bags for our online shop the embroidery bird started to sing again. There was so much inspirational work on the Internet that I was keen to start incorporating some simple embroidery into my work asap. Danny is as enthusiastic as I am.
“Once you’ve built up your skills again you are only limited by your imagination.”
Of course a comment like this has the instant effect of momentarily snuffing out the imagination!
So Shereen’s offer came at the perfect time. As you can see from the photo the stash is huge and even includes a gorgeous little trunk covered with a pretty Art Deco material. Sewing silks, embroidery threads, buttons, beads, lots of cross stich materials and even little Christmas trees – enough for a small forest!
She wrote on her card that the tin packed with sewing silks was a jumble sale find that turned out to have come from an old family friend of her husband. So this is a third home for that stash – it’s spread out in front of the trunk. The tin is like a tardis!
Homemade embroidery roll
Shereen I can’t think you enough. I’ve already started using some threads and have rediscovered the gentle joy of embroidery. Sitting in the kitchen as the wood burning stove burbles away, listening to Radio4 punctuated by tiny Min Pin snores. This is true contentment and bliss.
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I inherited my mothers cross stitch stash when she passed away recently, she waas quite a chart horder and there is no way I would be able to stitch them all! I am currently selling some on e-bay at the moment if any one is looking for a new project. A few christmas ones on there if anyone is starting early 🙂
Good luck in all your crafty projects! Jenny x
http://shop.ebay.co.uk/virtualjen16/m.html?_trksid=p4340.l2562
How wonderful, what a beautiful and useful gift, you will have many hours of pleasure on your new ‘finds’ in the box. How exciting!
I too look forward to seeing the results of your stash, I’m sure they’ll be delightful!
Happy New Year to every-one that contributes to this blog and of course to Fiona & Danny for making it all possible.
Wishing you all ‘Peace,Good Health,Happiness a prosperous New Year, lv Odelle xxx
ooooo….embroidery stash……mmmmmmmmmmm
Nothing beats hand sewing.
Hi there, I too took up embroidery again just over a year ago to decorate a quilt for my baby granddaughter. Unfortunately, with work commitments it took a year to finish, (not an uncommon story) but I finally finished it a couple of days ago and am thrilled with it. For future grandchildren I will start a project like this long before they are born!! The bonus was that the kit I purchased contained far more thread than needed so I have plenty left, and when I went to add it to my ‘stash’ this morning, was surprised to see the quantity of thread I had saved. I enjoyed sewing the quilt so much I am now motivated to continue with another part-completed embroidery project started many years ago. It’s really strange how an interest can be revived so easily after a delay of a few years. I am sure you will enjoy your gift, and I look forward to seeing some of the results in due course. Happy New Year to you all. xx
What a wonderful stash to be gifted. I can picture you seated comfortably making happy stitches while the doglets snore/snoozle and Radio 4 gives gentle entertainment. I love trawling through sites with lovely yarns and my dear Mother is a patchwork-quilter (umpty something pieces of cotton fabric, with a little silk thrown into her stash)- I’m delighted you will be having so much fun with coloured threads. Colour, texture and fibre joy!
Happy New Year to you all, Michelle and Zebby Cat, xxxxx and purrrrrumbles